Tibet’s Sacred Path: Lhasa, Everest & Kailash

Altitude: 3,650m

Tashi Delek! Welcome to Lhasa.

Your guide and driver will meet you at the airport for the 1.5-hour drive to your downtown hotel. At 3,650 metres, today is about resting and letting your body adjust — take it easy and save your energy for tomorrow.

Getting to Lhasa

Major Chinese cities including Chengdu, Beijing, and Shanghai have frequent flights to Lhasa Gonggar Airport, along with international connections to Kathmandu. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway also connects Lhasa to Xining (21 hrs), Lanzhou (24.5 hrs), Chongqing (35.5 hrs), Chengdu (36.5 hrs), Xi’an (31 hrs), Beijing (40.5 hrs), Shanghai (47 hrs), Guangzhou (52.5 hrs), Shigatse (2.5 hrs), and Nyingchi (4 hrs).

A Few Notes on Altitude

• Move slowly, stay hydrated, keep warm, and rest, which helps to skip showers for the first two days.
• Talk to your doctor beforehand if you have any health concerns about high-altitude travel.
• Tell your guide or hotel staff right away if you’re feeling unwell. They’re experienced in handling this.

Altitude: 3,650m

Morning
Climb the 365 steps up to the Potala Palace, the world’s highest palace and the historic winter residence of the Dalai Lama. Inside the Red Palace, you’ll find sacred shrines and centuries-old Buddhist art, with sweeping views over Lhasa from the upper levels. The palace dates back to the 7th century, originally built by King Songtsen Gampo for Princess Wencheng.

Note: Visiting order depends on your ticket time. Visits are group-based with a one-hour limit, and photography isn’t allowed inside.

Afternoon
Visit the 1,300-year-old Jokhang Temple, Tibet’s spiritual centre and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built for King Songtsen Gampo’s brides, it houses one of the most sacred statues in Tibetan Buddhism, a life-sized image of the 12-year-old Buddha. Pilgrims pray here around the clock, and the atmosphere reflects that.

Later, wander Barkhor Street, the old pilgrim circuit that’s now also a lively market. Try some yak butter tea, browse Tibetan, Nepalese, and Indian handicrafts, or try on traditional Tibetan dress for photos.

Altitude: 3,650m

Morning
Drive about 35 minutes (12km) to Drepung Monastery, once home to the Dalai Lama and the largest Gelug monastery in Lhasa. It’s known for the Shoton Festival each August, when a giant Buddha thangka is unfolded on the hillside. Explore the grounds, then take part in a two-hour Tibetan culture workshop covering incense making and traditional block printing.

Afternoon
Drive around 40 minutes (14km) to Sera Monastery. Walk the bright stone-paved paths, then stay for the monks’ debate, held from 15:00–17:00 (not on Sundays), a lively back-and-forth where standing questioners use sharp claps and stomps to challenge seated answerers.

Return to your hotel in Lhasa.

Altitude: 5,012m | Distance: 380km, about 7 hours’ drive

Morning
After roughly 3–4 hours (200km), reach Kampa-la Pass (4,797m) for wide views over Yamdrok Lake and Mt. Nyenchen Khangsar. It’s one of Tibet’s four sacred lakes, traditionally tied to identifying the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation.

(You may see locals offering photos with decorated Tibetan Mastiffs and yaks which is a small fee, usually 5–10 yuan, is customary if you’d like a photo.)

Afternoon
Continue about 70km (1.5 hours) to the Karola Glacier (5,012m), a filming location for Red Valley and one of Tibet’s major continental glaciers, sitting below the 7,191-metre Naiqin Kangsang Peak. It’s visible right from the highway, and you can walk to the base of what’s sometimes called the “frozen waterfall.”

Note:

• Move slowly at this altitude to avoid altitude sickness.
• Toilet facilities here are very basic.
• Always agree on a fee before photographing locals.

Continue to your hotel in Shigatse.

Altitude: 5,100m | Distance: 340km, about 7 hours’ drive

Morning
Drive around 4.5 hours (240km) to Gyawu La Pass (5,200m) for your first view of Mount Everest, with the winding road below and pilgrims and cyclists making their own way toward Base Camp.

Afternoon
Continue about 3.5 hours (122km) through grassland and snow-capped ranges to Rongbuk Monastery (5,154m), the highest monastery in the world. Its 400-year-old meditation caves, white chortens, and prayer flags sit right in front of Everest itself.

Note:

• Access to Everest Base Camp is currently limited to the Rongbuk Monastery area where the mountain view from here is just as striking.
• Accommodation and food here are very basic, given the remoteness.
• Rest and stay hydrated to manage the altitude.

Altitude: 4,600m | Distance: 320km, about 7 hours’ drive

If the timing works out, catch Everest at dawn when the light on the peak is worth the early start.

Morning
Leave Everest Base Camp and drive the Tingri Road toward Saga County. About 120km along, you’ll pass Mount Shishapangma (8,027m), the only 8,000-metre peak located entirely within Tibet, with its glaciers and high grassland stretching toward the Nepal border.

Afternoon
Drive through Digur Tang, framed by Shishapangma and Langtang, then descend to Pelkhu-tso (4,590m), Shigatse’s largest lake, known for its deep turquoise colour set against the desert plains.

Continue about 69km to Saga County for the night.

Road note: the old Tingri Road gets rougher from here, running parallel to the Himalayas with views across to the Annapurna range in Nepal.

Altitude: 4,600m | Distance: 500km, about 8 hours’ drive

Morning
Drive to Drongpa County, near the source of the Brahmaputra River. Stop at “Old Drongpa” to visit Dargyeling Monastery, 1.5km off the main road, known for its unusual chortens carved with mantras.

Afternoon
Continue through Baryang Township (4,750m), then stop at Lake Manasarovar, Tibet’s most sacred lake where sapphire water and sandy shores framed by snow-capped peaks, with pilgrims often bathing along the shore.

Just across from it, visit Lhanag-tso (“Ghost Lake”) where saline, dark, and lifeless in contrast to Manasarovar, with a noticeably different, quieter atmosphere.

Finish the drive at Darchen Town (4,574m), at the base of Mount Kailash, for the night.

Altitude: 4,600m | Trekking Distance: 22km, about 6 hours

Mount Kailash rises to 6,638 metres and is considered sacred across four religions including Buddhism, Hinduism, Bon, and Jainism. The full kora covers 52km and typically takes three days.

Morning
Set out from Darchen across the Barkha Plain toward Tarboche, site of the annual Saga Dawa flagpole ceremony. Nearby, the “two-legged” Chorten Kangnyi is considered good luck to walk through.

Afternoon
Hike up to Chuku Monastery for its murals and statues, then continue along the river, either bank takes about three hours to Dira-puk (we’d recommend the eastern route on the way up).

Arrive at Dira-puk Monastery (4,920m), with a striking view of Kailash’s north face, a wall of black granite and snow. You’ll stay in the monastery’s guesthouse, which is basic but the best option in the area.

Note: Horses, yaks, and porter services are available for hire. Guesthouses along the trek are simple, sometimes multi-bed tents.

Altitude: 4,600m | Trekking Distance: 20km, 7–8 hours

This is the toughest day of the kora.

Morning
Start early, passing Jarok Donhang (5,210m) before the steep 762-metre climb to Dolma-la Pass (5,360m), traditionally believed to cleanse a lifetime of sins, and a genuine milestone for anyone who makes it up. Take some time at the top to rest and take in the view before heading down.

Afternoon
Descend for about an hour into Lhachu Valley, then continue roughly four more hours to Dzultripuk (4,810m), home to Milarepa’s “miracle cave.” Explore the small Sakya monastery here before settling into the guesthouse, arriving early helps secure one of the limited rooms.

Altitude: 4,600m | Trekking Distance: 14km, about 3–4 hours

Morning
Finish the kora with an easier three-hour walk back to Darchen, passing through the Gold and Red Cliffs canyon and Milarepa’s Cave. From the Barkha plain (4,700m), you’ll get distant views of Gurla Mandata before a final flat stretch brings you back into Darchen, completing the 52km circuit.

Afternoon
Your driver will meet you for the roughly 4.5-hour drive (230km) to Zanda, in Tibet’s remote Ngari Prefecture, known for the Guge Kingdom ruins and Tholing Monastery nearby.

Overnight in Zanda town.

Altitude: 4,600m | Distance: 340km, about 5 hours’ driving

Morning
Explore the Guge Kingdom ruins, remnants of a powerful state that lasted from the 10th to 17th centuries. Climb through the Red Palace and the royal White Palace, where Tibetan, Indian, and Chinese architectural styles all come together. Despite damage from past conflict, many original frescoes and sculptures have survived. The summit gives you a wide view over the old desert kingdom.

Afternoon
Drive about 20km to the Zanda Earth Forest, the largest tertiary strata formation of its kind in the world, where rock shapes stretching over 5km along the Elephant Spring River, carved over millions of years into forms that resemble horses, warriors, and more.

Finish at Tholing Monastery, dating to the 10th century and once a major centre of Guge art. Inside, you’ll find well-preserved frescoes and statues across the Main Hall, Assembly Hall, and Scripture Hall, where monks still study today.

Continue to Darchen for the night.

Altitude: 4,600m | Distance: 500km, about 8 hours’ drive

Today’s drive covers rugged, windswept terrain, the road is mostly unpaved, so expect some bumps and dust, but the scenery makes up for it. You’ll pass through high mountain passes, open grassland, and river valleys, with the Himalayas visible for much of the drive.

Along the way, you’ll pass small villages and nomad camps, herders with yaks and sheep, farmers in the fields, monks walking the roadside. Plenty of good stops for photos along the route.

Overnight in Saga County.

Altitude: 4,000m | Distance: 500km, about 8 hours’ drive

Today’s drive is considerably smoother, paved roads all the way to Shigatse, a city with roots dating back to the 7th century. If time allows once you arrive, the Tashilhunpo Monastery, historic seat of the Panchen Lama, is worth a look, though the full visit is scheduled for tomorrow.

Overnight in Shigatse.

Altitude: 3,650m | Distance: 340km, about 7 hours’ drive

Morning
Visit Tashilhunpo Monastery, founded in 1447 and the largest monastery in the Tsang region. As the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas, it holds sacred tombs and ornate chortens. Your guide can walk you through the lineage of the Dalai and Panchen Lamas as you take in the murals and chanting inside. If you’re up for it, join the kora around the monastery or climb up for a wider view over Shigatse.

Afternoon
Drive back to Lhasa. On arrival, head to your hotel downtown for a well-earned rest.

Altitude: 3,650m | Distance: 100km, about 1.5 hours’ drive

It’s time to wrap up your 15-day Tibet journey. Your guide will take you to the airport or station for your onward connection.